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Love is Guiltless Chocolates
Pamela Smith, Wellness Writer and Natural Food Chef, chefpkay@gmail.com
First a bit of trivia; according to National Geographic; scholars believe that Valentine’s Day originated from an ancient pagan celebration called Lupercalia. Lupercalia was celebrated as the festival of fertility. Who knew? All of this time some of us thought that the season of hearts was just another opportunity to eat those wonderful chocolates without feeling any guilt.
The Latin name for chocolate (cacao) is Theobroma, which means 'food of the gods.' Anyone who has tasted this delicious raw chocolate will understand why it’s called “food of the gods”. For thousands of years the Mayans, Aztecs and Incas have been using cacao as part of their daily cultural rituals; healing purposes and cacao beans were considered so sacred that they were actually used for money.
I recently experienced this wonderful gift of nature in its rawest most pure form and OMG!
That being said, we can now clearly understand why we consume over 2,700,000 tons of chocolate per year. We crave it and we love it. It’s unfortunate that over the years manufacturers have added unnatural sugar, dairy products, stabilizers, trans fats, artificial flavorings and colorings, and many other unhealthy additives that we can’t even pronounce; that has literally eliminated all the health benefits that nature intended for chocolate.
Raw chocolate brings back the goodness of this magical miracle food. Unlike the above mentioned processed chocolates, antioxidants are preserved in raw chocolate (cacao), it’s all natural and without artificial fillers. Raw chocolate is also rich in flavones which can prevent stroke, heart attacks and blood clotting by keeping blood platelets from sticking together.
If you're not excited yet, consider these facts:
- Raw Chocolate is an aphrodisiac, which is why we eat so much of it and why it is so popular on Valentine's Day!
- Raw Chocolate is nature's own antidepressant. It’s a “feel good” food. Chocolate contains the amino acid, Tryptophan, which makes Serotonin, which makes us feel happy.
- Raw Chocolate contains chromium which naturally regulates blood sugar. The regulation of blood sugar is very beneficial to diabetes.
- Raw Chocolate provides natural energy and a feeling of wellness. Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine, which helps promote mental alertness and gives us the ability to concentrate.
Lastly, raw chocolate is an appetite suppressant and can help with weight loss. For years we’ve been told that chocolate is “fattening”, the truth is that raw chocolate in it’s a original state contains a healthy fat called “oleic acid”. It turns out that the negative experiences from eating processed non-raw chocolates such as diabetes and weight gain come from the additives, dairy and sugar and not from eating the chocolate itself.
So the next time you’re in the mood for a piece of chocolate stop by your local Wholefoods Market or health food store and ask for “raw cacao.” You will not regret it!
Disclaimer: The information in this article is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified health care professional. You are encouraged to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in relationship with a trusted health professional.
